Gatomon's Nightmares
by Pokemon Ranger-Trainer
Summary: Gatomon has a pretty good life. She has a loving partner and feelings for Patamon, relations between human and Digimon are blossoming beautifully, and the Digital World is flourishing. Lately, however, she has been having terrible night terrors about her past. What is causing her nightmares? Is she afraid of her past, or is there another factor involved? Includes PataGato romance.
1. The First Night Terror

**I do not own Digimon. I never thought I would be into it enough to write a story for it, but, well, here we are. Italics, as I normally use them in my other stories, symbolize thoughts and dreams. I do not own Apple either. I suppose at this point, that would be kind of obvious. I'm only saying it because there is an iPod or two involved. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 1: The First Night Terror**

_Gatomon was not sure where she was? It was nothing like the Digital World, Real World, or the Dark Ocean. In fact, it was darker than the Dark Ocean. Everywhere the feline Digimon looked, there was pure darkness. To her left, to her right, in front of her, behind her, above her, and below her. Unsure where she was, she shivered. That place was uncanny. She called out, "Hello? Is anyone out there…? Kari…?"_

_There was no answer. Through the darkness, her sharp eyes were able to make out a sinister, yet familiar silhouette. She recognized the silhouette and gasped in horror. Gatomon screamed, "No! That's impossible! G-get away! You can't be here! You were destroyed! Twice!" There was still not answer. Dark tendrils coiled around Gatomon's ankles and wrists. She tried to pull her appendages away, but with a lack of success. Suddenly, the black tentacles turned into an attack that she knew all too well and dreaded just the same: Crimson Lightning. She started screaming and thrashing wildly._

"_Gatomon! Gatomon, calm down! Please, you have to wake up!" a faint, disembodied voice called out to the cat Digimon. It sounded just like Kari's voice. "Gatomon!" Kari sounded very upset, but Gatomon could barely hear her over her own screaming._

"_Kari, out of the way!" another faint voice ordered. It sounded like Tai._

_End of the nightmare…_

The next thing Gatomon knew, she was completely soaked with cold water. Dripping wet, she was in Kari's room. On the bed, next to her, was none other than Kari. A few feet away, Tai and Agumon stood. All eyes were on Gatomon. Tai was holding an empty bucket. Gatomon glared at Tai and yelled, "Was that really necessary?!"

"Kind of," Tai nodded.

"Thank goodness you're awake!" Kari exclaimed and hugged her Digimon tightly. "You were just having the most awful night terror."

"Night terror…? What's a night terror…?" Gatomon asked, the term "night terror" being totally foreign to her.

"It's when you're having a nightmare and can't wake up, so you start screaming and thrashing in your sleep," Agumon explained. "At least, that's what I think it is. Up until now, I've never seen anyone have one before."

"What time is it…?" Gatomon asked softly. She looked over at Kari's alarm clock. It was…

"Four in the morning. You sure are lucky that my dad's away on business. You woke us all up with your screaming," Kari explained, hugging Gatomon a little tighter.

"Sorry…" Gatomon apologized, feeling guilty to cause such a disturbance.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You're okay, and that's all that matters. Besides, Tai was supposed to wake up and get ready for school in an hour anyway," Kari gave her Digimon a sunny smile of reassurance.

"On the bright side, it's a Friday, so Tai and Kari don't have to go to school tomorrow," Agumon smiled and pointed out.

Gatomon forced a small smile, but inside, she was deep in thought. _Even after the DigiDestined from around the world defeated him, I still see him in my nightmares… Why can't he just go away?!_

"Is everything alright?" Kari and Tai's mother came in.

"Yeah, Mom," Tai assured, "cold water did the trick."

"That's a relief. Kari, I'll change your sheets. Just go dry off Gatomon," Mrs. Kamiya sighed in relief.

"Okay. Thanks, Mom," Kari nodded, picked Gatomon up, and carried her into the bathroom. With a fluffy pink towel, the human began to dry her Digimon's wet fur. "Do you want to tell me what your nightmare was about? It sounds like it must have been very scary."

"I was alone," Gatomon began to explain as Kari rubbed the towel on her, "in some dark, eerie place. Then, I saw the silhouette of…of…" Then, she lost her nerve to speak, and started having a teary emotional meltdown.

"Oh, Gatomon…" Kari hugged Gatomon once again. It felt like her heart had shattered into a million pieces when she was trying desperately to wake up her partner. To hear her scream with such terror in her voice was awful enough. It gave Kari a sinking suspicion of whose silhouette it was. To think about being in Gatomon's fur sent shivers down Kari's spine.

"I'm so lucky to have you…so blessed…" Gatomon sniffled and hugged Kari back. Kari gave her all the love, care, and affection a Digimon could ever dream of, and then some. In Gatomon's opinion, out of all the millions of DigiDestined in the world, Kari was the greatest, hands down.

"Are you sure you'll be okay without me for a few hours? I can stay home with you today if you want," Kari offered.

"No, you shouldn't. I don't want you to miss school for my benefit. Then, you'll get behind on work. You go to school. I'll be fine. I promise," Gatomon raised her right paw and promised. She'd feel even guiltier if Kari played hooky for her sake.

"Okay," Kari nodded. She was reluctant to leave Gatomon alone. "I'm not leaving for another few hours. We could play a game if you want, or we could listen to music."

"M-music sounds nice," Gatomon said softly. "Please?" Kari smiled, nodded, and took Gatomon back to her room. Like her mother promised, the wet bed sheets had been exchanged for dry ones. Kari reached for her night stand. Her D-3 and her pink iPod sat on it. She pinked up the iPod, plugged her ear buds in, and placed one ear bud in one of Gatomon's ears, and the other ear bud in one of her own ears.

"Any requests?" Kari asked as she scrolled through her playlists.

"Surprise me," Gatomon managed a genuine smile and requested. Kari smiled and picked one. The two of them spent the next hour and a half cuddling in Kari's bed, listening to music.

Tai was about to leave for school. "I think I'll leave Kari and Gatomon be for a while. Bye, Mom. Later, Agumon!"

"Have a good day at school!" Mrs. Kamiya bid him a fond so-long.

"Bye, Tai!" Agumon waved to his partner.

When Tai was gone, Mrs. Kamiya sighed and said, "They grow up so fast."

"I know what you mean, Mrs. Kamiya. He's really grown up from when I first met him," Agumon nodded in agreement.


	2. Saturday

**Here is chapter 2! Just like chapter 1, but not with 10% more romance! N-not between Kari and Gatomon. That's a different kind of love. A sisterly love, if you will.**

**Gatomon: Yeah!**

**Agumon: Happy holidays!**

**Wrong month.**

**Agumon: Well, Thanksgiving is coming up. That's a holiday.**

**True. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 2: Saturday**

It was a cool Friday evening. Kari, out of worry for Gatomon, asked her mother if they could have fish for dinner. Gatomon loved fish. Kari had actually been very worried about her partner and thought of her all day at school. She observed her feline friend carefully as they ate, watching for any signs of stress or unease. None seemed present throughout the duration of dinner.

"Thank you for the fish, Mrs. Kamiya," Gatomon thanked Kari's mother and bowed politely.

"I don't know which Digimon ate more, Gatomon or Agumon," Tai chuckled.

Agumon burped. "Excuse me." Everyone started laughing.

That night, Gatomon and Kari got cuddled up in bed. Kari kissed Gatomon's forehead and asked, "How was your day?"

"It was average, but I was so happy when you came home!" Gatomon exclaimed with the cutest smile Kari had ever seen.

"Aww! Thanks! I was so happy to get home and see you!" Kari informed her partner, hugging her.

"Good night, Kari," Gatomon yawned.

"Good night, Gatomon," Kari yawned back. They both drifted off to sleep. It was peaceful at first. Then, Gatomon began to have another night terror in the middle of the night.

"NO, NO! STOP IT! GET AWAY! NO! PLEASE! NOOO!" Gatomon thrashed and screamed in her sleep.

"Oh, no! Gatomon, wake up! Gatomon!" Kari tried to get a hold of Gatomon.

"KARI! KARI, HELP ME!" Gatomon begged in her nightmare.

"Gatomon, I'm right here! Please, just open your eyes!" Kari pleaded, struggling, trying to hug Gatomon and show her that it was only a dream and that everything was alright. That backfired. In all of her thrashing and struggling, Gatomon unconsciously gave a good swipe to Kari's face with her claws.

"I got it!" Agumon ran into Kari's bedroom with an empty bucket and hit Gatomon over the head with it by mistake. "Where'd the water go?"

"Ow…Agumon…" Gatomon groaned and rubbed her sore head. She turned to Kari, saw her face, looked at her own claws, and gasped. "Kari! I'm so sorry, Kari!" Gatomon broke down into sobs and hugged Kari.

Kari, never seeming to lack patience, gently stroked that back of Gatomon's head, saying, "Hey, don't cry. I know it was an accident. It's okay, really. I'll just say Miko did it, okay? Shh, everything's alright. Nothing happened. See? We're all okay."

"K-Kari…" Gatomon sniffled.

"Was your dream the same as last time?" Agumon asked curiously.

"Not exactly," Gatomon shook her head, her voice filled with sadness and guilt. She began to lick the scratches that she bestowed upon her best friend.

"Gatomon, that tickles!" Kari giggled.

"I'm sorry about this…" Gatomon sniffled.

"Gatomon, I told you that it's no big deal," Kari assured and gave Gatomon a smile filled with kindness and compassion. "You're my best friend. Nothing will ever change that."

"Happy Saturday," Tai yawned and walked in. "Another night terror?" Gatomon looked down as the tears welled in her eyes. Kari looked at Gatomon, and then nodded to her brother.

"There must be some way for us to get a handle on this!" Agumon exclaimed in frustration. He hated seeing Gatomon so upset and distressed.

_I wish Wizardmon was here. He'd know what to do…_ Gatomon thought to herself. She deeply missed her old friend, Wizardmon. Sometimes, her heart would ache so much from missing him that she could almost swear her chest would cramp up.

"I miss him, too," Kari hugged Gatomon a little tighter and whispered in her feline ears. It was amazing. It was almost as if Kari knew what Gatomon had been thinking.

"Miss who?" Tai and Agumon asked in unison.

"Wizardmon," Gatomon said softly.

A little while later, in the early morning, Kari had put some disinfectant on her face and sat in a chair in the living room, holding Gatomon on her lap. Tai and Kari would sometimes find themselves watching the Saturday morning cartoons together, no matter how old they got. Kari asked, "Anything good on?"

"Nah. Not this week," Tai shook his head and turned on the news.

"…Some new sort of crow or bat of some kind was spotted late last night," the anchorman was saying. In the upper left corner of the TV, there was a picture of a round silhouette with wings in the moonlight. Gatomon's eyes widened, not in horror, but in shock, when she saw this.

"Gatomon?" Kari looked at her best friend's startled face. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I think I have," Gatomon answered, not looking away from the television.

"That shape looks familiar," Agumon noticed. "But wasn't he destroyed and absorbed?"

"I don't know how it's possible," Gatomon's breath seemed shaky. "How? Why?"

"Oh, it might not be DemiDevimon," Tai said the one thing that would contradict everyone's thoughts, including his own. "It might just be some new species of bat. That shot's not that great, so we don't know for sure."

"Tai's right," Kari got herself to agree with her brother. "We can't get worked up over a hunch."

"Right. A hunch," Gatomon nodded with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"Yeah! You know what they say! Don't fear the reaper!" Agumon smiled, remaining optimistic.

"I love that song!" Mrs. Kamiya shouted from the kitchen.

_Please don't do a duet. Please don't do a duet. Please don't do a duet._ Tai started praying in his mind.

Other than the excitement and commotion of Gatomon's latest night terror and the bat/crow thing on the news, the day was quiet, relaxing, and uneventful. In the middle of the afternoon, Patamon started knocking on the window. Gatomon opened it, "Hi, Patamon!"

"Hey, Gatomon! I heard you were having night terrors, so I brought you these," Patamon passed a bouquet of roses to Gatomon.

"Wow, Patamon! That's so sweet of you!" Gatomon looked at her Digimon friend in delight. Patamon smiled and blushed. "Wait. How did you know about my night terrors?"

"Kari seemed upset at school yesterday. When TK asked her what was wrong, she spilled the beans and broke down," Patamon reported.

"Kari was that worried about me…?" Gatomon was amazed by how much Kari cared about her, and how much Patamon cared about her (based on the fact that he brought her roses).

"Then, I started to worry about you, so I, uh, I brought you those roses," Patamon finished.

"Thank you, Patamon. They're beautiful," Gatomon thanked him.

"Y-you're welcome!" Patamon stammered. "I, uh, I guess I'd better get going now. I don't want TK to worry about me, you know?"

_All too well. _Gatomon nodded, keeping her thoughts to herself. "Thank you again for the roses, Patamon."

"Good bye, Gatomon. Have a good day," Patamon bid her farewell and started to fly away.

"You, too!" Gatomon called out to him and waved. When he was about 200 meters away, she closed the window and put the roses in a vase.

"Hey, who are those from?" Kari walked up.

"Patamon," Gatomon answered with a smile. "It sure was nice of him. He's always been a great friend. He and I always have been kind of close. I guess it isn't too surprising that he'd be worried by this whole night terror business."

"Yeah," Kari answered carefully.

"I know you're worried, too. Patamon told me about when TK asked you why you seemed stressed yesterday," Gatomon informed her.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag," Kari giggled.

"Yeah," Gatomon agreed and jumped into her arms. "Do you think Veemon and the others know?"

"Maybe," Kari shrugged. "Just remember we care about you."

"Thanks, Kari," Gatomon smiled.


	3. A Romantic Evening

**So, here's the third chapter. It starts off as eerie and uncanny.**

**Gatomon: You're telling me…**

**But there is a lot of sweetness later on.**

**Kari: There's the bright side!**

**Agumon: Since you have the Crest of Light, I guess there's always a bright side for you!**

**Okay, pun time is over. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 3: A Romantic Evening**

_Gatomon and Wizardmon were out on a picnic. They set up their picnic under a tall oak tree that sat atop a hill. There was a gentle breeze. Gatomon beamed at Wizardmon. She couldn't help but wrap her arms around him. With tears in her eyes, she said, "I missed you."_

"_I have missed you, too, my old friend. Gatomon, I'm so proud of you. You've come so far with Kari and the DigiDestined. I'm honored to be your companion," Wizardmon told her._

"_You helped me find the way," Gatomon smiled fondly with the tears in her eyes._

_Suddenly, everything changed. The sky was dark. Buildings that had spontaneously appeared were as red as blood. Gatomon was wearing handcuffs around her wrists. She was in a long line of restrained Digimon. She saw many of her friends. Agumon, Palmon, Biyomon, Hawkmon, Veemon, and countless others were waiting in line for something. Gatomon looked ahead and saw a guillotine. She gasped in horror and tried to take a step back, but something shoved her forward. It was DemiDevimon. He snarled, "Oh, no, you don't. Just because you were Lord Myotismon's favorite doesn't mean you can get away with betraying him. Get back to the front of the line!"_

"_The front…?" Gatomon gasped in horror. Her big, blue eyes were filled with pure terror, but that only fed DemiDevimon's inner sadist. He shoved her to the front of the line, past all of her friends. _

_Myotismon stood next to the guillotine with a smile of psychotic delight. He seemed endlessly amused. He chuckled, "You look at me with such fear and hatred, my old pet. Don't you see the irony? The moment you changed sides, you sealed your fate. You could have been my favorite servant today, but instead, you die."_

"_I-I'm not afraid of you!" Gatomon tried to sound defiant, but the memories of her beatings made her sound much less than convincing. _

"_It's your past that you are afraid of. I embody it. So does that scar that you hide," Myotismon said with a grin. Gatomon wanted to cry. Myotismon said, "Enough dilly-dally! I've waited too long for this! Into the guillotine with her!"_

"_Wait!" a voice urged. Wizardmon jumped off a rooftop and landed on his feet between Gatomon and the guillotine. He said, "Myotismon, allow me to take Gatomon's place! It is because of me that she betrayed you!"_

"_Wizardmon…" Gatomon spoke her friend's name softly._

"_How noble. Fine. Gatomon's punishment will be to watch your demise. Any last words?" Myotismon granted Wizardmon to take Gatomon's place under the blade._

"_I'll die with no regrets," Wizardmon spoke with a mix of bitterness and confidence. Sacrificing himself would be his last act of defiance towards Myotismon, and it would repay his debt to Gatomon. Henchmen of Myotismon tethered the blade upward, getting it into place. Wizardmon took his place. Gatomon began to thrash and scream wildly as Myotismon picked her up and placed her right next to the guillotine, giving her a close-up view of her friend's demise._

"_NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! WIZARDMON! WIZARDMON!" Gatomon wailed._

_End of the nightmare…_

"WIZARDMON!" Gatomon woke up wailing in Kari's arms.

"Oh, Gatomon…" Kari sniffled. Tears hung in her eyes. She had not known Wizardmon as long as Gatomon had, but it was because of him that they were together. She felt just as close to Wizardmon as her Digimon partner. When Kari was a little girl, Wizardmon had sacrificed himself to save her and Gatomon.

After several minutes of sobbing, Gatomon calmed down just enough to ask, "Kari, did you wake me up?"

"It took me forever," Kari wiped a tear away, "but I thought you'd wake up if I held you long enough and tight enough."

"It's a good thing you woke me up when you did…" Gatomon sniffled and began to cry again.

"I know now isn't the time, but…TK invited me to go over to his place and explicitly told me to bring you," Kari informed her. "Do you want to go? It's okay if you don't."

"No, I'll go," Gatomon took a deep breath and said.

Thus, Gatomon accompanied Kari over to TK's house. Gatomon immediately noticed the mood lighting. Confused, she jumped out of Kari's arms and looked around. Patamon greeted them, "Good evening, ladies. Kari, TK is waiting for you in his room."

"Thanks, Patamon," Kari nodded as if everything was normal and went into another room.

Gatomon suddenly caught the delectable scent of… "Is that fish?"

"Your favorite," Patamon nodded. "Have a seat. I'll bring dinner in." He gestured to a low, small table that was very appropriate for their height. Two chairs sat across from each other at the table. Gatomon sat down in one of the chairs. The scent of fish made her ecstatic, but she wasn't sure what she thought of the situation. Patamon brought in a big platter that held two cooked fish (or fishes). Also, on the platter, there were two forks and two sets of chopsticks, giving each of them their choice of utensil.

"Thank you, Patamon. What's this all about?" Gatomon asked him.

"I, uh, I thought it would cheer you up. Besides, we're hardly ever alone anymore. It seems like we never get to chat, one-on-one, you know?" Patamon explained.

"I think so," Gatomon nodded.

"So, uh, how have you been lately?" Patamon asked curiously.

"Aside from my night terrors? Hard to say. I'll have a night terror, and whatever I dream about will freak me out all day. I think last night's dream was the worst of them all so far," Gatomon explained. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be dumping all of this on you."

"No, no, it's okay! I'm all ears!" Patamon assured. "If you're not willing to tell me about it, you don't need to, but if you do, divulge away." He shot her a kind, attentive smile.

"It'll be painful to talk about, but I really think I need to," Gatomon sighed and told Patamon about her latest night terror. By the time she had finished, Patamon's wings had dropped and his eyes were wide. Without a word, he got out of his seat, went around the table over to Gatomon, and hugged her. "Thank you for listening, Patamon."

"If you ever need anything, anything at all, let me know. I'm not going to leave you. I promise," Patamon promised her.

"Can we discuss something a little…happier? Please?" Gatomon implored.

"Absolutely," Patamon nodded. They did speak of happier things. They talked a lot, carrying out a long conversation with no awkward pauses. That is, until they finally realized that they were holding paws. They looked from their joined paws to each other, both of them blushing, but neither of them taking their paw away. Then, Patamon remembered something. "I, um, I have something for you."

"For me…?" Gatomon asked in wonder. Patamon passed a sheet of paper to her. On that paper was a poem Patamon had written.

'Gatomon with eyes so blue

I've always wanted to find you

I feel like we have a special connection

I want to give you my affection

Will you accept it?

Your heart, I want to protect it

You're the Digimon I want to hold

I care for you with my heart and soul'

"Oh, Patamon!" tears welled up in Gatomon's eyes. She hugged him tightly. Never had anything so romantic been directed at her.

"I'm sorry…" Patamon apologized.

"What…?" Gatomon looked him in the eyes, confused.

"It made you cry," Patamon pointed out sadly.

"No, I'm not crying because I'm sad! I'm crying because I'm happy and flattered and because your poem was so beautiful and…it made me feel beautiful," Gatomon explained with a smile that, at least in Patamon's opinion, melt the heart of any Digimon.

"You…really liked it?" Patamon asked.

"I loved it," Gatomon nodded. She kept hugging him.

Neither Digimon had any idea that their partners were watching until Kari let out an "Aww!"

About twenty minutes later, Kari and Gatomon were getting ready to go. Gatomon smiled at Patamon and said, "Thank you for tonight, Patamon. I really enjoyed it."

"Thanks for coming! I'm just glad I got to share it with you!" Patamon smiled back.


	4. Fortitude of Friendship

**Here's chapter 4. There is a song that's referenced in here, but not the whole song. I tend to get paranoid about disclaimers, so I'll disclaim it anyway. I do not own "Don't Fear the Reaper". Blue Oyster Cult does.**

**DemiVeemon: C'mon, baby!**

**Poromon & Upamon: Don't fear the reaper!**

**I've been obsessed with that song lately. But enough about that. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4: The Fortitude of Friendship**

When Gatomon woke up the next morning, she was quite surprised. She didn't have a night terror at any point of the night. She had slept like a kitten. Refreshed and amazed, she turned over to find Kari awake. Kari greeted, "Good morning, sleepy head!"

"I didn't sleep in, did I?" Gatomon asked. She didn't want Kari to be late for school on her behalf.

"Only by a few minutes. You're fine," Kari assured with a smile. She held Gatomon in her arms, got out of bed, and went into the kitchen. Her mother was up and Tai had already left. "Good morning, Mom!"

"Good morning, Kari. Good morning, Gatomon," Kari's mother greeted them. For breakfast, Kari had a bowl of cereal. She let Gatomon have the milk in the bowl. Then, Kari got changed and brushed her teeth. She washed her face and was ready for school.

"Bye, Mom! Love you! Let's go, Gatomon!" Kari encouraged. Gatomon leapt onto her shoulder and away they went, off to school.

"Have a good day, you two!" Mrs. Kamiya called after them. Then, the phone rang. It was her sister. Before answering, Mrs. Kamiya muttered, "Just this call, two more, and I'm done for the day." She picked up the phone, answering, "Hello?"

Meanwhile, at Yolei's family's store, Ken was waiting outside for her. He had gotten there early so that they could walk to school together. When Yolei came out, she looked like she needed a second pair of hands. She had gotten so much food for the Digimon that it would be considered a miracle if their stomachs didn't explode. Ken took half of the bags and greeted, "Morning, Yolei."

"Hey, Ken!" Yolei greeted and gave him a peck on the cheek. He seemed to blush.

Ken's Digimon partner, Wormmon, was on his shoulder. He promised, "Don't worry, Ken. I won't comment."

"Can we eat now? Can we eat now?" a high-pitched voice asked from the hood of Yolei's jacket. Why, it was none other than Poromon, one of the previous forms of Hawkmon.

"Uh, Yolei, why is Hawkmon in the form of Poromon?" Ken asked quizzically, unsure how to address the situation given his lack of information about it.

"Tell him, Poromon," Yolei sighed and started walking with Ken right next to her.

"Well, you see," Poromon began to explain, "are you aware of Gatomon having night terrors for the past few nights?"

"Yeah," Ken nodded.

"But what does that have to do with you being Poromon?" Wormmon asked.

"Armadillomon, Veemon, and I decided that if were looked and acted extra cute, we might cheer here up. So we reverted to Upamon, DemiVeemon, and me, Poromon!" Poromon explained proudly. "Our cuteness might even scare those night terrors away!"

"That's a pleasant thought," Ken smiled, not saying that dreams didn't usually work like that. He didn't want to crush Poromon's hopes. For all he knew, it might actually work. "Gatomon sure is lucky to have a friend like you, Poromon; a friend that's considered for someone who has a problem like this."

Yolei smiled. Ken certainly did embody the Crest of Kindness. It was almost impossible to believe that he was once the Digimon Emperor.

Later that day, the younger of the two groups of DigiDestined, the ones with the D-3 devices, met in the computer lab. They had always made a point to meet there, even after the incident with MaloMyotismon. The computer lab was used as an extra now, because a new computer lab had been put in the school, with newer computers.

"Hey, guys!" TK walked in with Patamon on his shoulder. "Sorry I'm late. I had to find my math book."

"I'd expect that out of Davis," Cody remarked.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Davis demanded, clearly offended.

"It means you always lose stuff," DemiVeemon said, which caused Davis to fall over.

"Where's Gatomon?" Patamon asked Kari.

"She kind of fell asleep in my bag. She's probably catching up on lost hours," Kari explained. "You know, Patamon, we really have to thank you. Gatomon didn't have any bad dreams at all last night. I think it had something to do with the romantic evening you showed her."

"You do?" Patamon asked. His blue eyes glittered. He had helped Gatomon? He was so happy that she didn't have a night terror, and was overjoyed at the thought that it was because of him that she slept easy.

"Romantic evening?" Yolei echoed.

"OOH!" the Digimon and the rest of the DigiDestined cooed. Patamon's face went scarlet.

"Aww! That's so cute!" Yolei squealed excitedly. "I can already picture what your babies will look like! They're going to have wings sticking out of their heads and long cat tails!"

"Uh, Yolei? Digimon are born from eggs in Primary Village," Cody reminded her. "Digimon don't have parents."

"Where do you think the eggs come from, silly?" Yolei winked.

"Hey, Kari, what happened to your face?" Davis asked and pointed to Kari's face. She realized that he had been referring to the scratches Gatomon had given her, but she didn't want to blame Gatomon. After all, it was only an accident.

"Miko did it," Kari immediately responded, barely letting Davis finish the question.

"Uh…okay…" Davis nodded, a bit more confused than he was when he asked.

"How? Why?" Yolei asked.

Unprepared for all of these questions, Kari had to think fast. She did tell Gatomon that she would blame poor Miko if she had to. She replied, "Well, I was playing with him, and, uh…you know. One wrong move and scratch."

"Morning already?" Gatomon asked with a yawn in Kari's bag. She got out of the bag, turned to Kari, and said, "Thanks for letting me take a catnap in your bag."

"No problem, Gatomon," Kari smiled.

"Hello!" DemiVeemon, Upamon, and Poromon all greeted cutely.

Gatomon blinked, and then she slowly greeted, "Hi."

"Did you did something new with your ears?" DemiVeemon got very close to her and asked, looking up at her with his big eyes.

"N-no, I haven't," Gatomon answered uncomfortably. She took a step back.

"I wish I had a long tail like you! Yours is so pretty!" Poromon admired.

"Thank you!" Gatomon blushed and smiled, feigning modesty. She was genuinely flattered to have her tail admired.

"Hi, Gatomon," Patamon greeted and approached her.

"Patamon!" Gatomon ran up to him and hugged him. Then, blushing, she backed away a step. "Sorry…"

"N-no, it's fine! Really!" Patamon insisted. He bit back a curse, worried he had been too insistent.

"Thank you, Patamon. After dinner with you last night, I slept so soundly. I woke up in shock, because I was really expecting to have another night terror," Gatomon explained to him.

"I'm, uh, I'm glad I could be of service," Patamon smiled.

"AWW!" everyone else cooed at them, causing them to blush.

"So, what'd you have? Are there leftovers?" Upamon asked excitedly.

"Upamon, relax. Yolei's father was kind enough to provide us plenty of food, so you can rest easy," Ken informed the Digimon.

"Love of two is one," DemiVeemon sang.

"'Don't Fear the Reaper'," Cody recognized the song.

"By Blue Oyster Cult?" TK checked, and Cody nodded.

"So, what'd you have? Huh? Huh? What'd you eat last night?" Upamon continued to ask.

"My favorite food," Gatomon smiled. Patamon smiled, too, and he was standing on his hind legs. The two Digimon were holding paws.

"FISH," the rest of the group unanimously and simultaneously agreed.


	5. The Upcoming Winter

**Here's chapter 3! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: The Upcoming Winter**

It was late November. Gatomon, always dazzled by the holiday lights, greatly anticipated December. One thing bothered her, though. For the past week, exempting the night she spent with Patamon, she had had night terrors. The nightmares were so vivid and morbid. What made a night terror worse than a nightmare is that she couldn't wake up on her own. Her nightmares had involved Myotismon, the darkness of her past, in one way or another. But she had her friends. Most especially, she had Kari and…Patamon. Patamon had been so dedicated and loving and caring lately! Thinking about it made Gatomon swoon. She had always been kind of close with Patamon, but she never thought that she would develop special feelings for him.

"Hey, Gatomon," Kari walked into her bedroom and greeted. She was in her pajamas as it was about nine o'clock at night. "Are you ready for bed?"

"Yep," Gatomon nodded. She was actually a little nervous. What vivid horror would she be tortured with this time? She supposed she would just have to find out.

_Gatomon's nightmare…_

_The dream started off very well. Gatomon was in a chapel or temple of some sort. Standing on an altar, she stood across from her dearest Patamon. Wizardmon was the one performing the ceremony. Kari was her maid of honor. Patamon's best man was, of course, TK. Wizardmon whispered in Gatomon's ear, "I am so happy for you."_

"_Thank you," Gatomon nodded and thanked with tears of joy in her eyes._

"_We are gathered here today," Wizardmon spoke loud enough for the guests to hear, "because these two Digimon have fallen in—"_

"_Not so fast! This is a raid!" a grouchy, annoying voice barked. DemiDevimon flew in and shouted, "This is your new king! Surrender your lives, and maybe I'll be kind enough to house break you."_

"_Seriously?" Gatomon asked, unimpressed. But everyone around her seemed terrified. She didn't understand. DemiDevimon was always nothing more than a tool with wings._

"_Bow to me, kitty!" DemiDevimon bellowed at Gatomon. He suddenly started to grow until he was at least ten times his normal size. "BOW DOWN NOW!"_

_With one of his supersized talons, he picked her up by her tail and opened his enormous mouth. Gatomon demanded, "Put me down, you overgrown freak! You're ruining my wedding!" Suddenly, Gatomon felt her tail slip out of her tail ring. She began falling, and she was directly over DemiDevimon's mouth._

_End of the nightmare…_

"Gatomon!" Kari desperately shook Gatomon, willing to try anything. "Gatomon, wake up! Please, Gatomon!"

"Patamon!" Gatomon screamed when she finally woke up. "Oh, Kari! It's you." Kari pulled Gatomon into a tight hug. "It started off as a good dream, too…"

"Please, Gatomon, tell me about it," Kari implored.

"It started off with me getting married," Gatomon began.

"Aww!" Kari cooed.

"It was an amazing setup! I was getting married to Patamon. You were my maid of honor. I think you might have been engaged to TK. Wizardmon was doing the ceremony. Then…things got bad," Gatomon explained.

"Well, the beginning sounds nice," Kari tried to remain optimistic. "How bad did things get?"

"Let's just say I became the next meal for a supersized bowling ball with wings," Gatomon explained.

"Oh, my gosh," Kari gasped and hugged Gatomon again.

"We should get ready," Gatomon changed the subject, referring to school.

Kari walked to school that cold morning. She was wearing a pink winter jacket and her hat. Poor Gatomon. All Kari could provide her with was a scarf. Kari apologized, "I'm so sorry I don't have much else for you. Gatomon, you deserve so much better!"

"Kari, it is fine," Gatomon assured, but her shivering was not very assuring.

"Here, take this," Kari took off her hat with one hand and placed it on Gatomon's head, making sure to cover her feline ears.

"Kari, I…" Gatomon began. She didn't feel like she could accept it.

"Don't worry about it!" Kari smiled.

"I'm so blessed to have a loving partner like you," Gatomon's eyes sparkled in admiration. "Such sweet love…"

Later that day, in the afternoon after school, everyone was exchanging complaints about the cold. Armadillomon, not Upamon today, said, "It was so cold, I was worried that Cody and I would sneeze icicles."

"It was so cold, I almost flew south for the winter," Hawkmon, not presently Poromon, replied.

"It was so cold, I almost glued myself to a stray cat," Veemon, having advanced from DemiVeemon, replied.

It was Wormmon's turn, and he complained, "It was so cold; I would have given anything for a nice, toasty cocoon to sleep in."

"It was so cold, I was worried I'd have my wings amputated," Patamon took his turn.

All of the Digimon looked at Gatomon, waiting for her to take her turn, but she seemed to have zoned out. Veemon snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Earth and/or Digital World to Gatomon. Do you read us?"

"Huh?" Gatomon was suddenly responsive.

"My word, Gatomon, you seem out of it today," Hawkmon commented. Gatomon gave not a verbal response, but a simple shrug.

"Gatomon, what happened? Was it another night terror?" Patamon asked with genuine concern.

"Yes," Gatomon nodded. Her voice broke as she answered, and tears hung in her eyes. She sniffled, "The worst part is that it started off as a really great dream! Maybe it was the best one I ever had until it turned upside down!"

"Oh, Gatomon!" Patamon exclaimed, got on his hind paws, and hugged her comfortingly.

"Aww!" Veemon, Hawkmon, and Armadillomon cooed.

"I feel warm now," Wormmon informed openly, seemingly amused.

"Thank you, Patamon," Gatomon thanked him.

"For what?" Patamon asked her.

"For caring about me," Gatomon sniffled and looked into his eyes. One pair of blue irises met another. They both blushed as they gazed at each other. One could suspect an imminent kiss. That is, until…

"MY SLEEVE IS ON FIRE!" Davis ran around in a circle, screaming.

"Put him out! Put him out!" Yolei squealed.

"I got it!" Cody threw a bucket of water onto Davis.

"I wonder if there is a remote control for this heater," Ken examined the heater that Davis lit himself up with. "We can avoid more incidents like that if there is."

"It just started shooting off sparks!" Davis exclaimed, showing everyone his singed sleeve.

"That can't be! It's a brand-new heater!" Yolei protested. "At least I think it is."

"Maybe we should get it exchanged," TK suggested.

"Who in the right mind would take back a broken heater?" Cody asked. "Then again, who in the right mind would sell one? It must be some sort of manufacturing mistake."

"We'll take it back," Ken and Yolei announced.


	6. An Early Christmas?

**Chapter 6: An Early Christmas?**

The next day was even colder than the last. Snow had even fallen. Davis sat in a chair in the old computer lab, complaining, "I can't believe they didn't cancel."

"Well, what would you do if school _was_ canceled?" Ken asked him.

"Good point," Davis submitted.

"It's in situations like this where Patamon's Christmas present to Gatomon would come in handy," TK said and grinned at Patamon with a hint of deviousness.

"TK!" Patamon complained, somewhat embarrassed. His orange and off-white face turned scarlet.

"Aww!" Ken cooed.

"What did you get her?" Davis asked curiously.

"Get? I _made_ it! Well, I had a little help from TK's mom," Patamon admitted. "But TK is right. Now would be a good time to have one."

"So, you're not going to tell us?" Ken asked.

"How disappointing. I really wanted to see what you made for her, Patamon," Wormmon informed him. "I guess we'll just have to wait out the curiosity until Christmastime."

"Maybe not. It's freezing out. I don't want my precious kitty to catch a cold!" Patamon divulged his contemplations.

"Your precious kitty, eh?" Veemon echoed slyly.

Patamon's face grew even redder, assuming that was possible, and shouted, "Oh, shut it!"

"We're just busting your chops, Patamon! Relax!" Davis laughed.

"Yeah, you know we don't mean any harm," Ken added. "We all think it's very sweet that you care about her."

"Patamon, she'll love it," TK assured, referring to the gift. Patamon hoped TK was right. Then, TK said, "It came from your heart, right?"

"Yeah," Patamon nodded slowly.

"Then I can guarantee she'll love it," TK assured with a quick wink.

"Yeah! Girls like that 'from-the-heart' kind of stuff! I bet she still has that poem you wrote her!" Davis added.

"How'd you know about the poem?!" Patamon suddenly demanded.

"You didn't notice? She carries it around with her all the time," Ken reported.

"She must swoon every time she reads it," Wormmon seemed to smile, though it was kind of hard to tell. "I would if I was her."

"Should I give it to her early?" Patamon asked openly for opinions. He wasn't sure what it was he wanted to do, but he wanted to make Gatomon happy. He wasn't sure when or why he fell for her, but he did. There was something about Gatomon that attracted Patamon. To figure out when and why, he supposed he'd have to look into his heart, his memories, and his soul.

"Whatever you think is best, buddy," TK simply replied. Patamon looked at the faces of the other DigiDestined and Digimon present, but they were silent and smiling, seeming to have agreed with TK. Patamon opened TK's bag. In it was a box decorated cutely with red wrapping paper and a bow.

"Hey! Sorry we're late!" Yolei apologized as she stepped in with Kari. "My dad gave me a long lecture about how miraculous it is that the store makes a profit, but then Kari paid for the food."

"It was nothing," Kari claimed modestly.

"You really got me out of a jam there!" Yolei told Kari with an appreciative tone of voice.

Gatomon looked like she had something to say, but she remained quiet instead. She gazed at Patamon with a small, innocent smile and a cute blush. Patamon could not get over how adorable she was! It took him several moments to come out of his trance and pull out the boxed gift. "Gatomon," he said, "I know it's a little early, but…well…" Patamon lost his voice and nerve momentarily, but quickly found his courage again. "Merry Christmas!" He pushed the gift towards her.

"Patamon?" Gatomon blinked twice. She then looked up at Kari, as if to ask if she could open it. Kari, as if she had read her feline friend's thoughts, nodded. Gatomon carefully removed the wrapping paper, cutting the tape with her sharp claws. After removing the wrapping paper, she lifted the lid of the actual box. Inside were two gloves that were exactly like the ones she already had on, only in pink. There was also a long tube of soft pink fabric in the box. She noticed that the tube only had one opening.

"D-do you like them?" Patamon asked nervously.

"Yeah! Oh, thank you so much, Patamon!" Gatomon thanked him and hugged him. Patamon, standing on his hind legs, hugged her back. He had gotten into the habit of standing on his hind legs more and more so there would be more opportunities for him to hug and hold her. "I just have one question." She held up the pink fabric tube. "What's this?"

"It's a tail warmer!" Patamon answered.

"Tail warmer?" Gatomon echoed. Patamon smiled. Fortunately, due to the fact that the defective heater was not yet replaced, it was cold enough for a demonstration. Patamon turned his beloved around so her back was facing him. Then, he slid the tail warmer down her long tail. Gatomon smiled, amazed. She asked, "And you made the gloves to match?"

"Yeah, but I have to admit that I had a little help," Patamon admitted sheepishly. Gatomon took off her yellow gloves, allowing everyone to view her 'X' shaped scar. Patamon was about to ask what it was from, but refrained for two reasons. The first reason was gaining that scar might have been a painful memory, and if Patamon made Gatomon upset, he'd never forgive himself. The second reason was that he had a good hunch that he already knew what the scar was from. He was well aware of her dark history with Myotismon. The fact that he would dare beat her, let alone _think_ of beating her, filled him with so much anger and hatred towards the vampire Digimon.

"Hey, what's that scar from?" Veemon asked the question Patamon wanted to avoid.

"Oh…that…" Gatomon said flatly and sighed. "It's nothing, I guess. Maybe a memory. History."

"Can I touch it?" Veemon asked childishly.

"No!" Gatomon snapped. "You've got a lot of nerve! You don't understand! None of you do!"

"Gatomon, we never meant to—" Wormmon tried to speak.

"You never did anything! Myotismon gave me this scar, okay?! Are you happy now?!" Gatomon shouted at her friends angrily.

"Gatomon, please just take a deep breath…" Hawkmon begged.

"He _hated_ me! He would beat me and curse me and abuse me if I even _looked_ at him the wrong way! Do any of you know what that's like?!" Gatomon demanded furiously.

"I take it back! I take it back! Please don't skin me alive!" Veemon begged.

"If it makes you feel better, Veemon, I wanted to touch it, too!" Hawkmon confessed with his voice filled with fear.

"Gatomon, please calm down…" Kari begged and prayed and pleaded all in one whisper.

"The only reason he hated you," Patamon said with passionate confidence, "was because he knew he could never be as amazing as you are." With that said, he kissed her paw, right on the scar. He didn't want her to view it and be filled with anger and hatred and sadness. The past was what it was, and Gatomon could not change that no matter how much she wanted to. So Patamon wanted Gatomon to look at her scar and smile and remember that she was loved and had friends. He wanted her to let the bad times she had had know that she was alright and, if anything, stronger than she was back then.

"Oh, Patamon…" Gatomon's anger faded, and her voice was breaking. Her eyes were filled with tears of both joy and sadness. They held each other in a tight hug and Gatomon sobbed for several consecutive minutes.

"Hey, now, it's okay…" Patamon said soothingly. "Why don't we try those new gloves on, alright?" Gatomon looked him in the eyes. Tears still hung in her own eyes, but she was smiling. She gave him a small nod and put the new pink gloves on. Patamon took a step back to view her. She looked, in a word, adorable. She looked, in two words, absolutely adorable. She looked, in eight words, so freaking adorable it made Patamon's heart race.

"How do I look?" Gatomon asked and posed. Other than the tail warmer and pink gloves, nothing was truly different.

"Amazing," Patamon swooned.

"Patamon, I have an early Christmas present for you, too," Gatomon confessed. Kari set her bag down, and Gatomon started fishing through it until she pulled out a box wrapped in blue gift wrap. She blushed as she handed it to him. He removed the gift wrap and pulled out two yellow fabric tubes similar to the tail warmer he had previously given Gatomon.

"They're for my wings…" Patamon realized. "Thank you, Gatomon!"

"My pleasure! Here, allow me!" Gatomon giggled and slid a wing warmer onto each of his wings/ears.

"AWW!" everyone around them cooed at them in their new paw-made winter accessories.

Later that day, when Kari and Gatomon got home, Tai and Agumon were sitting on the couch. Having walked in on the middle of a conversation, Kari and Gatomon heard Agumon ask Tai, "So a hoagie and a hero are the same thing?"

"What?" Kari let the word slip out.

"Oh, hey, sis," Tai greeted casually.

"Ooh, someone has a new outfit!" Agumon noticed Gatomon's new tail warmer and gloves. "It looks cute on you, Gatomon!"

"Thanks," Gatomon giggled. "It's from Patamon."


	7. A Brother

**So, here's chapter 7. I don't have much else to say without spoiling anything, so enjoy!**

**Chapter 7: A Brother**

Gatomon was thinking about the news report that she had seen on the Saturday morning she had accidently slashed Kari's face. She didn't know why or how, but something in her feline gut told her that DemiDevimon was out there. It was an ominous feeling. Why was it ominous? DemiDevimon was very loyal to Myotismon, but it was all for nothing. Myotismon ended up betraying and absorbing DemiDevimon. Myotismon's henchman situation was rather ironic. His favorite henchman betrayed him and his most loyal henchman was absorbed by him.

Agumon found Gatomon out of the balcony of the apartment. He stood next to her and asked, "May I sit down?"

"I guess," Gatomon shrugged, watching the stars.

Agumon sat down next to her. "You know how Tai and Kari are brother and sister?"

"Of course," Gatomon answered, finding the question ridiculous.

"I hope you don't mind my saying this, but," Agumon informed, "I see you as a sister. I just want you to know that if you ever need a brother, come to me."

"Agumon," Gatomon said his name softly. She gazed at him, surprised by his words. Years ago, when she worked for Myotismon, they were enemies. Now, Agumon was like a brother to her, and then there was Patamon. "Thank you, Agumon."

"Don't mention it," Agumon winked. "The stars look nice out tonight."

"They sure do," Gatomon agreed.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but…" Agumon started to ask, but his voice trailed off.

"Yeah? What is it?" Gatomon urged, curious of Agumon's question.

"What was Wizardmon like?" he asked.

Gatomon couldn't help but smile as she remembered her truly wonderful old friend. Even from the realm of the dead, the wise, noble wizard had helped her. With a fond smile and a tear trickling down her cheek, she answered, "He was as noble as a friend could get. He thought that he had this lifelong debt to me for saving him when he was dehydrated and starved, but I think it's the other way around. I'm the one who owes him for helping me find the right path, sticking by me no matter what, and especially sacrificing his life for me and Kari. You know, if he hadn't done all of those things, I don't think we'd be here right now."

"His friendship must have meant the world to you," Agumon commented.

"Maybe both worlds," Gatomon let out a small giggle. Another tear rolled from one of her big, blue eyes. Agumon wiped it away and gave her a friendly—no, a brotherly smile. She smiled back. "Thanks. Sometimes I miss him so much that I feel like my chest starts to hurt."

"We all owe him our lives. When I say 'all', I mean everyone in both this world and the Digital World," Agumon said. "The best way to pay him back is to keep living and hope that our spirits live on. He fought for a new life, and the least we can do for him is enjoy it."

"You'd make a pretty good philosopher," Gatomon smiled at him and beamed at him as more tears rolled down her cheeks, some of them running along her whiskers.

"Philosopher? I was thinking something along the lines of 'Human-Digimon Ambassador'," Agumon replied humorously.

"You have my vote," Gatomon assured. "Do you think Patamon and I will get married one day?"

"He's always aiming to please you and be with you. A Digimon who selflessly satisfies others to see them smile. That's what Patamon is," Agumon answered.

"Are you sure you aren't considering philosophy?" Gatomon asked teasingly. They both laughed.

"There you two are!" a voice exclaimed. Behind them, Tai and Kari were standing in the doorway. Tai urged, "Come on. It's time for dinner."

"What are you guys doing out here?" Kari asked.

"Just talking," Gatomon and Agumon answered at the same time. They smiled at each other and followed their partners inside.

As the two Digimon exited the balcony, the spirit of Wizardmon watched. He smiled behind his cloak, and then he muttered, "I knew she could be happy without me."

After the Kamiya family enjoyed a wonderful chicken dinner, the phone rang. Mrs. Kamiya assumed, "It's probably my sister." As she walked into the kitchen, she muttered, "Call number three."

"Why does your aunt call three times a day?" Gatomon asked Kari.

"Honestly," Kari sighed, "I have no idea."

"That's strange," Kari's mother's faint voice said. She came into the living and announced, "There was no one on the other end."

"Was it a prank call?" Tai asked.

"What did the Caller I.D. say?" Kari asked curiously.

Mrs. Kamiya just shook her head and informed her children and the Digimon, "It didn't say anything. And I could tell that the phone on the other end didn't hang up, either. I could hear the faint static. You know the kind you hear when there's silence on both ends of the phone."

"I always thought that was someone breathing," Agumon claimed. Gatomon remained silent. Something didn't seem right to her about the whole thing.

Meanwhile, TK and Patamon were in TK's room. TK was writing things down in a notebook. Patamon had read TK's literature before and thought that he would become a phenomenal writer. TK had written comedies, romantic stories, thrillers, and even a couple of tragedies. Patamon insisted, "Seriously, TK, you should show your stories to your English teacher. They're really, really well-written!"

"I don't know, Patamon," TK sighed. "Speaking of stories, I was thinking of writing something based off of you and Gatomon. I'd probably call it 'The Love of Angels' or something."

"I like that! That's really clever, TK!" Patamon complimented.

"Thanks. Enough about that, though. How are things with you and Gatomon?" TK asked.

"Pretty well, I suppose," Patamon shrugged with his forelegs and then stood on his hind legs. "I think I'm getting better at this! Anyways, she seems really freaked out, though. Those night terrors that she has been having keep reminding her of Myotismon." Then, Patamon clenched his paws. "I can't stand that Myotismon! The thought of him _beating_ a precious little kitten like Gatomon really makes me mad! I find it so hard to believe that anyone would abuse her like that! Even when she's not Angewomon, she's angelic! Yet, I know the truth. How dare he? How dare he?!"

"Easy, Patamon, easy!" TK gripped Patamon's shoulders. "She has you and Kari and all of our other friends now."

"Myotismon abused Gatomon…" Patamon muttered bitterly.

"Myotismon isn't around anymore. Gatomon has you to comfort her and support her," TK pointed out.

"And to love her," Patamon added softly. Then, he realized that he had just said that out loud and blushed madly. He started flying around the room, exclaiming, "I can't believe I just said that!"

"Is it true?" TK asked.

"Yes, it's true!" Patamon shouted and gripped TK's shirt collar. "Have you seen her?! Have you met Gatomon?! She has adorable looks and a fantastic personality! Not to mention she has an appetite for fish that I find very attractive in a female!"

"Relax! I feel the same way about Kari! Well, 86 the fish part and I feel the same way about Kari," TK informed him.

"86?" Patamon echoed.

"It's another way of saying 'except' or 'remove'," TK explained.

"Oh. I learned two new things today, then!" Patamon smiled. "I didn't know you liked Kari. Then again, when she was called to the Dark Ocean, you were really freaked out. You almost didn't seem like yourself, you were so worried. So, are you and Kari…going out?"

"Kind of," TK admitted. "Our favorite thing to do is watch _you and Gatomon_ have little romantic moments. It was pretty romantic when you kissed the scar on her left paw."

"Do you think so?" Patamon asked. TK gave him a sincere nod and an assuring smile.


	8. The Double Date

**And here is the humorously romantic chapter eight. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 8: The Double Date**

A few nights later, Patamon and Gatomon made plans for a dinner date. There was a catch. They were going to deny themselves the pleasure of seeing each other unless TK and Kari doubled up with them. Naturally, Kari and TK agreed. Not only did they want their Digimon partners to be happy, but they wanted to see each other as well. It was a sushi date. Gatomon, as she came into the restaurant with Kari, said, "I still wish you had put on that dress…"

"That dress is too short for this weather!" Kari argued. "Not wearing it will benefit you in the long run, too. If I had worn it, I might have caught a cold. You might have caught the cold from me. And then…"

"I wouldn't be able to see Patamon for a while…" Gatomon concluded. She was glad that she decided to wear her tail warmer. "Kari, can I confide something in you?"

"Um, sure, Gatomon. Is something bothering you?" Kari asked her curiously.

"Other than my night terrors, no. Quite the opposite. It's about Patamon. I…I think I'm in love with him," Gatomon spoke softly. She sighed, "There. The cat's out of the bag."

"Aww!" Kari cooed. She was about to pick up Gatomon and congratulate her and hug her, but she spotted TK and Patamon. They had saved a table for the girls. "TK!" Kari and Gatomon then quickly went over to their dates, but they did not feel that their pace was fast enough.

"Good evening, ladies," TK smiled at them, Kari in particular.

"You look lovely, Gatomon!" Patamon complimented. He was wearing the yellow wing warmers Gatomon had given to him. "These really fix the problem of finding me earmuffs."

"Good! I'm glad!" Gatomon smiled.

Meanwhile, outside the restaurant, Tai and Agumon were peering in the window, secretly chaperoning their sisters. Tai, utilizing a pair of binoculars, studied the scene closely.

"What do you see, Tai?" Agumon asked his partner.

"I see a pair of blue eyes. I think their TK's," Tai reported.

Agumon looked in the window. TK was not looking their way. He was seated next to Patamon, across from Kari, and due to the way the table was positioned relative to the window, only half of his face could be seen. Agumon asked, "How can that be, Tai? TK isn't facing us."

Meanwhile, on another side of the restaurant, Matt and Gabumon were also spying on the double date as TK and Patamon's secret chaperones. Matt had a pair of binoculars. He reported, "These things work great! Too great. I'm looking right into Kari's eyes!"

"Matt, Kari isn't facing us. I don't think those are her eyes you're looking at," Gabumon replied with a bewildered frown. At the exact same time, Matt and Tai lowered their binoculars, saw each other, and screamed.

Meanwhile, the human and Digimon couples were enjoying their time together. Patamon was about to feed Gatomon a spicy tuna roll when suddenly they heard a faint pair of screams. Kari asked, "What was that?"

"I think there's a mental hospital near here," TK replied.

"Now, where were we?" Patamon asked rhetorically. Gatomon opened her mouth again and Patamon popped the spicy tuna roll inside. She giggled as she chewed it. Not only was she glad that she fell for Patamon, but she was glad that he didn't see her as damaged goods. For a while, she had felt that way inside. She had felt that she was damaged goods that were waiting to be thrown away. She knew that Kari loved her and would never toss her aside like an old ragdoll, but the kind of love she received from Kari may not have been enough. The kind of love she received from Patamon was very different, but still just as sweet. Just as real. Just as sincere.

Gatomon swallowed and said, "Patamon?"

"Yes, Gatomon?" Patamon answered, his attention caught by the beautiful feline.

Gatomon laid her head on Patamon's shoulder, closed her eyes, and smiled, whispering, "Thank you."

Somehow, by some divine will, Patamon knew exactly what she was thinking him for. Smiling, he placed a paw on the shoulder of hers that was further from him. He then told her, "You're welcome. Always." With that said, he gently kissed her forehead.

"Aww!" TK and Kari smiled endearingly at the adorable Digimon couple. It took them a matter of moments to realize that they were holding hands. They looked at each other, blushed, but did not let go. Instead, their grip on each other's hand tightened.

"Hey-oh! How are you doing?" Tai greeted loudly as he, Matt, Agumon, and Gabumon came in.

"We're just going to sit down, eat, talk, and you know, other stuff two good friends do in a restaurant," Matt announced.

"That is not creepy!" Agumon added.

"Or illegal," Gabumon added.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…" TK muttered.

"Oh, look! What a coincidence! It is my sister, her Digimon, and their dates! Fancy meeting you here!" Tai acted.

"Their dates are my little brother and his Digimon! Another coincidence!" Matt acted along.

"Well, we are going to sit down now! You four continue to enjoy your date!" Tai told them.

"In a civilized and dignified way!" Matt added.

"A way that will not bring shame to your families!" Gabumon added onto Matt's addition.

"Did Gatomon fall asleep?" Agumon asked Patamon.

"I'm awake, brother…" Gatomon informed her brotherly figure, her eyes still closed. Agumon smiled and sat down with the others. She was so gentle, so delicate, and so soft. She was many things. Patamon wanted to scream to the world how he felt about her. Instead, he remained silent as he held her. If he had ever met someone who could read emotions, that person would know that the look in his eyes as he held her said it all.

"Hey, guys?" Kari called over to her brother and Matt. When she had their attention, she smiled and thanked, "Thanks for watching out for us."

"No problem, sis," Tai gave her a thumbs-up.

Agumon opened a bottle and drank the dark brown liquid inside. He exclaimed, "Mm! That is good! But it made me thirstier than I was when I came in. What is this beverage?"

"Soy sauce," Tai answered flatly.

There were two bottles of soy sauce at their table. Gabumon picked up the other, opened it, and drank it. His eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Mm! He's right! This is good! Oh, Matt, please tell me they sell this in stores!"

"Yeah…" Matt answered flatly and nodded slowly.

Having seen the entire event of Gabumon and Agumon drinking two bottles of soy sauce, TK picked up their table's bottles and pulled them away from Patamon. He said, "Don't even think about it."

"Think about what?" Patamon asked innocently. He had tuned out Agumon and Gabumon as he was so focused on his beloved Gatomon. He then saw TK with the soy sauce and scolded, "Oh, TK, don't be so greedy!"

Kari couldn't help but giggle as TK frowned and blushed. He had been caught between an awkward moment and a misunderstanding. After finishing the meal was fully consumed, TK and Patamon escorted Gatomon and Kari home to their apartment.


	9. The House of Nightmares

**I feel really bad about saying this, but this is the last chapter. I've had the ending in mind for at least a week now and did not have much of anything else to put in before it. This is the last chapter. Oh, it hurts to say even more the second time! I had a lot of fun writing this story, so I kind of hate to see it end! It went so well, and I feel like I want to write more Digimon fictions! **

**Gomamon: He made this chapter extra long for you all! I think this is one of the longest chapters the Ranger has ever written. Over 3,800 words! I won't spoil much, but there sure is a lot!**

**With that said, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter 9: The House of Nightmares**

Three evenings following the double date, Gatomon was staring out the window, day dreaming about Patamon. She dreamt about him being the father of her kittens. She dreamt about them flying through the heavens together as Angemon and Angewomon. She dreamt of them playing on the beach like the characters in the beginning of _Grease_. She even tried to re-dream that dream she had about her and Patamon getting married. She was sucked out of her fantastic dream land when she spotted a round silhouette with wings. She glared at it and growled, "DemiDevimon…"

DemiDevimon put his face up to the glass of the window and sneered, "Not only are you damaged goods, but you're a mess of a dreamer, too!" With that said, he cackled meanly.

Gatomon, with anger welling up inside her, threw the window open and demanded, "What the heck do you want and how are you here?!"

"It's simple. I want you, stupid cat," DemiDevimon informed her. "I want you to pay. I want to see you squirm, cry, and break under my claws! That's what you have coming. That's what you deserve."

"Then fight me!" Gatomon put her paws up, ready for a tussle.

"Here's not the place for it. Come to the old abandoned house by the bay. If you dare," DemiDevimon challenged and flew away. Gatomon knew that it was a trap, but the longer DemiDevimon was out there doing heaven-knows-what, the worse it was for everyone. She knew she would need Kari. Help from the other DigiDestined would be great, too.

"Kari!" Gatomon called out, still glaring at the spot that DemiDevimon hovered in.

"Yes, Gatomon?" Kari approached her partner. She was taken aback when her partner gave her a very serious gaze. "Something bad is happening?"

"Get your D-3. This could get ugly," Gatomon instructed.

Later, just as DemiDevimon had instructed, Gatomon was standing in front of an old, abandoned house by the bayside that had been condemned years ago. Patamon was to her left. TK and Kari took behind her, holding hands. All four of them were gazing at the house. TK finally had the will to comment, "It must have been a nice bayside house before it came to…this."

"And that creepy bully, DemiDevimon, is in here?" Patamon asked with a certain flare in his eyes. Gatomon nodded. Patamon muttered, "I hate that guy. I hate him for all he's worth…"

"Me, too," TK agreed solemnly.

"My scalp hurts just thinking about him…" Kari claimed softly. "Where are the others?"

"The traffic looked really bad. I'm lucky I came here from across the bay," TK informed her. "They can catch up. Let's go in there."

"And bring DemiDevimon down," Gatomon agreed. Thus, the four of them rushed in there. They could not have imagined what they found once they entered. They were in the darkness Gatomon had been in on the night of her first night terror. The silhouette of Myotismon stood before them. Gatomon's eyes widened with fear and she started to hyperventilate. She felt a paw take one of her own. That paw belonged to her beloved Patamon.

"You don't have to be afraid. I won't let him hurt you. Not without getting through me," Patamon assured confidently. Gatomon felt safer after hearing him say that.

They continued through the house. It was abnormal. Heck, it was beyond bizarre. As they continued through the house, Gatomon noticed that they went through every night terror she had in chronological order. They had to stop a couple of times because she couldn't hold back her tears and terror any longer. She'd bawl, and Patamon and/or Kari would hold her and comfort her as TK would scout to make sure that nothing pursued them.

"Gatomon, you know we can turn around if you want to. You know that, right?" Patamon asked her.

"We can't…" Gatomon sniffled. "We've come too far. We need to find out how DemiDevimon is alive."

"That's the spirit!" Patamon cheered.

"Then let's go!" Kari suggested with a smile. In they went, deeper and deeper into the house of horrors.

There was one dream they came upon. Gatomon and Patamon were about to become parents, but they ended up losing their baby Digimon when the village they had settled in was attacked. Living this nightmare over again made Gatomon cry. Tears escaped Patamon's eyes as he watched his and Gatomon's egg—their child—get smashed. Kari shed tears as well.

"It's just a nightmare. It's not real," TK reminded them, and they all continued. He had been saddened by that last scene, but he knew that he had to remain focused and strong. He symbolized hope for the DigiDestined.

Finally, they ended up in a wooden basement. There were no nightmares down there. It was just what they would expect of the basement of a condemned house. Mold grew on the walls. Cobwebs covered the corners. The wooden ceiling boards above them looked rotten. DemiDevimon stood before them. He smiled and greeted, "Welcome. Did you enjoy the tour?"

"No! No, we didn't!" Gatomon shouted at him. Tears flooded from her eyes. "It was you! You're the reason I've been having all of these night terrors! You're sadistic and cruel and mean! You're exactly like your old master!"

"He was your master, too," DemiDevimon reminded her. She let out a light gasp of realization, remembering that he was right, and then remained silent. DemiDevimon spoke, "Yep. It was me all along. Now, I know it's just _killing_ you to know how I got here. Well, after being inside Lord Myotismon, I have to say that I'm not afraid of bats anymore. After you kids, along with the rest of the DigiDestined kids of the world, destroyed Myotismon in his new, supreme form, I was freed. I had ended up gaining some of his old powers. I became stronger, and a little more insane, too! Hoo-hoo!"

"Get to the point! Why are you doing this?" Patamon demanded.

DemiDevimon snarled, "Shut up, you winged rat! If you're such an angel, why can't you be more patient like one?! Huh?! Why can't your boy there jump off a bridge like the worthless piece of trash he is?!"

"Because TK isn't trash! Why are you tormenting Gatomon?!" Patamon was losing his patience rapidly. DemiDevimon began to describe Gatomon with every curse word he knew. Patamon ended up getting so mad. He screamed, "SHUT UP! DON'T EVER—_EVER_ TALK ABOUT MY PRECIOUS KITTY LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN!"

"Patamon…" Gatomon spoke softly, almost inaudibly, as a tear ran down her cheek.

"She seduced Wizardmon into betraying Myotismon, but I'm no fool!" DemiDevimon boasted.

"On what planet are you not a fool?" TK asked. Kari, in spite of the circumstances, couldn't help but giggle at TK's previous remark.

"I've never met such damaged goods in my entire life! She's a wreck!" DemiDevimon continued with his insults. Gatomon continued to weep, and DemiDevimon used it to his advantage. "See? What'd I tell you?"

"A load of crud, that's what!" Patamon snarled and attempted to tackle DemiDevimon. Without touching Patamon, DemiDevimon sent him hurdling backwards into TK.

"Would you like to see some of those powers that I was talking about?" DemiDevimon offered. "Crimson Lightning!" He attempted to whip Gatomon with Crimson Lightning. She flinched and heard it crack, but she was never hit. She opened one eye just enough to see that Patamon had taken the hit for her. DemiDevimon growled, "Why you—!"

"Patamon…" Gatomon's eyes sparkled in amazement. She was stunned by his reaction speed and, moreover, his dedication.

"I promised her that fiends like you wouldn't hurt her without getting through me," Patamon growled. He had been hit in the cheek. It bruised and stung, but no pain was going to make him break a promise to Gatomon.

"Then, I'll break you, too!" DemiDevimon decided and hit him with another Crimson Lightning. Patamon didn't budge. "You've got to break some time, angel boy!" Another Crimson Lightning whipped the ever persistent Patamon. "Nice guys finish last!" DemiDevimon whipped Patamon twice more. There was no satisfying result to that. Patamon was still standing, confident and defiant. He could take on the world if it meant protecting Gatomon. DemiDevimon was becoming frustrated. He started whipping him between words. "Why. Won't. You. Go. DOWN?!" He whipped him three times more.

"Because," Patamon began to say and wiped some spit off of his lip, "I'm in love with Gatomon."

"Patamon!" Gatomon exclaimed. Tears kept falling.

DemiDevimon growled. That growl became a snarl. That snarl became a roar. Whips of Crimson Lightning filled the room and ignited a roaring fire in the basement. TK shouted, "We have to get out of here!" TK and Kari ran up the stairwell. Gatomon and Patamon tried to pursue them, but a flaming beam descended and nearly crushed them. It blocked their path.

"Kari!" Gatomon panicked.

"Well, lover boy, you're going down first!" DemiDevimon growled and flew straight at Patamon with blinding speed. Gatomon reacted faster and launched herself in front of Patamon. She was punched in the face by DemiDevimon's talons. Dazed, she spiraled into Patamon's grasp.

"Gatomon," Patamon gasped in shock and concern.

"I love you, too," Gatomon looked up at him and informed him. "Our love can beat this guy."

"Right!" Patamon nodded. He flew into the air, inflated himself, and shouted, "Boom Bubble!" He released the Boom Bubble with a pop. It hit DemiDevimon, who could not recover fast enough to avoid Gatomon's Lightning Paw.

"Even if you do beat me—which is impossible," DemiDevimon boasted, "you both will just burn to death in this fire. There is no escape for you. You think you've turned the tables? Think again, angel chumps!" Crimson Lightning tendrils emerged from DemiDevimon and attacked Gatomon and Patamon from all sides.

"Gatomon!" Patamon shouted and willed himself to place his body on top of his beloved, becoming her Digimon shield.

"Patamon, no! If you take any more hits like this, you'll—" Gatomon protested.

"I'm always prepared to die for you!" Patamon confessed.

"Well, I'm not prepared to lose you! I can't lose you the way I lost Wizardmon!" Gatomon wept. "Just stop protecting me! I'm not worth it!"

"Yes, you are!" Patamon argued. "I can't think of anyone worthier!"

"SHUT UP!" DemiDevimon yelled at them and prepared an attack that would kill off them both. He saw tears ran from their eyes and hesitated. "Get up. Get up or I'll blast you both." Tearfully, the two battered Digimon stood. "You're both going to die any way you put it. Any final requests? I'm a nice guy."

"I have one," Gatomon spoke up. Patamon looked over at her in surprise. She continued, "If you're going to kill both of us, I'd like it to be at the same time. That way, we'll be together forever."

"Okay," DemiDevimon nodded and turned to Patamon. "And you? Surely, there's something you want to do before I execute you."

"Yeah. There is. I'd like Gatomon and I to have our first—and last—kiss," Patamon requested,

"Ugh," DemiDevimon groaned. "Alright, but make it quick. I didn't bring any barf bags when I settled here."

Patamon and Gatomon faced each other. They touched their foreheads together and gazed into each other's differently shaded blue eyes. Gatomon said softly, "'Love of two is one'. That line from 'Don't Fear the Reaper'. I think I know what it means now."

"Me, too," Patamon nodded in agreement. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Gatomon replied tearfully. They held their foreheads together for a few more wonderful moments. Due to the roaring fire all around them, breathing was beginning to become difficult. Gatomon and Patamon finally closed their eyes and pressed their lips against those of the other. In spite of the situation, it was a beautiful and wonderful moment. They held the kiss for a long, long time. It made them both upset that their first kiss would be their last act before death. Tears ran down their cheeks. A tear from each of them combined into one single tear as it dripped from their faces.

"Crimson Lightning!"

Meanwhile, Kari and TK were dragged out of the burning house by several firemen. They struggled and protested. They didn't want to leave their partners in that awful place. As exterior features of the house gave way and fell due to the flames, Kari screamed and cried, "GATOMON! GATOMON!" She frantically tried crawling towards the house, but a fireman held her back.

"Young lady, please calm down! You can't go back in there!" The fireman told her, but his voice was distant. She couldn't process what he was saying, and she didn't want to, anyway. "Miss, we're looking for more survivors, but as far as we know, you and your boyfriend are the only ones who survived that fire!" Kari definitely did not want to process that. And so, she did not. She drowned him out with her own screams. She did not want to hear that there was any chance that Gatomon was dead.

"Young man," another firefighter spoke to TK, "were there any others with you?"

TK did not meet the firefighter's eyes, but responded, "…Two."

"Two others?"

TK's eyes seemed almost lifeless as he gazed emptily at the street he sat on. He gave a nod. He never looked at the face of the firefighter speaking to him. He was praying for Patamon's safety.

"TK! Kari!" a voice called out to them. It was Davis, accompanied by Yolei, Ken, and Cody. Following them were the ones of the older DigiDestined (minus Mimi, who was in America at the time. The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave).

"Kari! Are you okay?!" Yolei asked frantically as she knelt down beside Kari.

"Kari!" Tai knelt down and hugged his younger sister. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

"TK!" Matt knelt down beside TK and placed a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, buddy! Talk to me, please! It's me, Matt!"

"Patamon…" TK said absently, reaching out for nothing in particular. "Patamon…"

"I think the lack of oxygen as made them delirious!" Joe concluded and reached into his medical bag. He pulled a portable oxygen machine and two masks out of his medical bag.

"You actually carry those things around with you?" Cody asked Joe.

"So that's why your bag is always so heavy!" Gomamon gasped in realization, as if every aspect of life suddenly made sense.

"He's going to kill her!" Kari bawled wildly. "Someone! Please, someone, save Gatomon! He's going to kill her!"

"Who?! Who?!" Tai begged for his sister to give him a straight answer or some sort of clear explanation.

"Save her! Please!" Kari wailed.

"Who's going to kill Gatomon?! Kari, snap out of it!" Agumon begged; concerned for the sisterly figure he saw in Gatomon.

"DemiDevimon…" TK answered the question absently. It was like his soul had been taken and he was just a machine programmed to answer questions with as few words as possible.

"DemiDevimon?!" Sora gasped.

"Unfathomable!" Izzy exclaimed.

"Not to mention 'crazy'!" Tentomon added.

"TK, what were you doing in there?!" Matt demanded.

"DemiDevimon…" TK answered automatically. His answers were short, simple, and solemn. There was no sweetness in his voice. There wasn't much of anything in his voice.

_Where's Mom when you need her?! _Matt mentally panicked, but he maintained a straight face. It was hard. Very hard. He had to stay strong for his little brother.

"My kitty! My friend! Gatomon!" Kari wailed in Tai's arms.

"Please just hang in there, Kari," Tai begged.

"Gatomon…" Agumon gazed worriedly at the burning building. Another part of it fell.

Meanwhile, Gatomon and Patamon were not finished off by DemiDevimon's attack. Before them stood the transparent ghost of Wizardmon. He had been defending them with his translucent staff. DemiDevimon snarled, "YOU!" His yellow eyes flared red with anger.

"You're a foolish Digimon," Wizardmon's ghost told DemiDevimon. "You were so bent on revenge that you failed to see that you're going to perish in this fire, too."

DemiDevimon looked around and screamed, "The building's on fire!"

"And what's worse, you didn't even do this of your own power," Wizardmon stated. "You used power that you inherited by accident. It was all by chance. Although, maybe it was your destiny to gain the abilities of Myotismon. I can't fathom why."

"Well, at least you're already dead!" DemiDevimon shouted at him.

"Wizardmon…" Gatomon mumbled and coughed. Her lungs were getting low on oxygen. Patamon hefted her onto his back and started flapping the wings on his head. The next thing he knew, Gatomon had screamed in pain and he wasn't getting much farther than ten inches off the floor. He looked back and saw that a flaming beam had crushed her tail and her tail ring. She was crying in pain. She cried, "My tail! It hurts!"

Wizardmon bent down and tried to lift up the burning beam, but his hands went right through it. Then, talons had dug into the blazing wood and lifted it off the ground just enough for Gatomon's tail to slip out. Patamon gently held her tail as she hugged his neck and sobbed. He glanced back at DemiDevimon and said, "Thank you. Now, let's get out of here."

"No. It's for the best," DemiDevimon smiled, and for the first time, it was a kind smile. He tossed a gold object to Patamon.

"What…?" Patamon caught the object. It was Gatomon's tail ring, and it was heavily fractured. "Thank you."

"Maybe I can be reborn, start a new life in a new way, and make up for my mistakes," DemiDevimon continued to smile. "Go. Go!"

"We won't forget this. Thank you," Patamon smiled at him. "What made you change your heart? Why'd you ever help us?"

"Seeing Gatomon in so such pain isn't so satisfying after all. In fact, all of us other henchmen hid as Myotismon beat her because we didn't want to completely lose it or show any sign of empathy in front of him," DemiDevimon explained.

"Thank you, DemiDevimon," Patamon thanked him one last time and started to fly away as Wizardmon's soul led the way. As he flew, he thought about DemiDevimon's last—maybe even only act of kindness. Then, he started focusing on getting Gatomon out of the building before it came down on top of them. He looked at her tail, which he held delicately in his paws. He then looked back up at the obstacle course in front of him. Dodging flaming pillars, flaming chairs, and flaming everything else, he eventually had the door in his sights.

"We're nearly there!" Wizardmon assured. "Can you do the rest on your own?"

"Y-yeah," Patamon wheezed and fell. He decided that the rest had to be done on foot, but he would get his beloved Gatomon out of the fire alive.

"I must do one more thing if you two are going to survive," Wizardmon stated. His soul, his entire being as it was, began to glow brightly. It did not go unnoticed.

Meanwhile, firefighters outside saw the bright light from inside the house and rushed inside. One of them exclaimed, "I think there are survivors!"

"It must be them!" Biyomon cheered. "It has to be Gatomon and Patamon! It just has to be!" Sure enough, she was right. In a matter of moments, the firemen were carrying Gatomon and Patamon in their arms. Both Digimon looked injured, burned, and worn out. TK and Kari finally willed themselves to look up. When they did, they were up like rockets, zipping over to retrieve their Digimon.

"Patamon!" TK hugged Patamon tightly.

"Oh, Gatomon!" Kari wept tears of joy.

Stirring, both Gatomon and Patamon finally woke up. Gatomon dizzily looked at her injured tail and deliriously asked, "Where's my tail ring?"

"Patamon was holding it," Izzy held up the golden ring. "It looks badly damaged. I don't even think it functions anymore. I'll have to get in touch with Gennai about it."

"Did DemiDevimon make it out okay…?" Gatomon asked, dazed.

"DemiDevimon?! It's because of that snake in the grass we're in this mess!" Agumon reminded her.

"He helped save me…" Gatomon reported before passing out. Hearing this shocked everyone.

The following day, the fire had finally been put out. DemiDevimon was nowhere to be found. Patamon and Gatomon had to assume the worst. They were lying on the Kamiya family couch together. A pink blanket had been wrapped around them, and they were ordered to rest. TK and Kari were sitting next to them, cuddling. Gatomon decided to divulge. "Patamon and I kissed."

"You kissed?" Kari echoed.

"It was wonderful," Patamon swooned at the memory.

"That's great, buddy!" TK congratulated Patamon

"Sometimes, I wonder where I would be without him," Gatomon smiled and beamed at Patamon. She cuddled with him and placed her head on her chest. With confidence, she hoped it was the end of her nightmares.

"Funny. Sometimes, I think the same thing," Patamon smiled at her. He thought of some of the night terrors that Gatomon had gone through, mainly the ones that started off as good dreams. He hoped that the good parts would indeed happen, because he wanted to be with Gatomon forever. He could picture their baby referring to TK and Kari as 'Uncle TK and Aunt Kari'. Smiling at his imagination, he wrapped an arm around Gatomon.

Far above, the spirits of Wizardmon and DemiDevimon were watching over Patamon and Gatomon. They were happy that the two of them were alive and happy together. The two souls smiled at each other, and then turned back to the ones they were watching over.

**The end**


End file.
